Surviving Cancer

James Underwood

James recovering from a brain tumour

Michelle Brown from the University of Derbyshire

My mum and my sister started crying, and I said, ‘what are you crying for?’ They said it’s because you’re going to have chemo. And I said, ‘can chemo kill you? No. So I said the worst part is over then. I have gone through the surgery. I just need to get the treatment and get on the mend.’

James Underwood is recovering from treatment to remove a rare brain tumour.

With Fixers he wants to promote the power of positivity in the face of adversity.

The charity arranged for him to tell his story on ITV News Central and ITV News Calendar on April 10.

James, 17, from Chesterfield, says: ‘My Fixers project is to raise awareness about teenage cancer and to highlight the importance of staying positive when recovering.

‘I don’t think about the past. I always think about the future. There’s no point in thinking about the past. So you just need to look ahead.’

James’s mum Dawn is proud of her son’s ability to bounce back.

‘Through all the surgeries, all the hospitals, dealing with people, consultants and everything that changed his life, he’s been absolutely fantastic and I’m really proud,’ she says.

Michelle Brown, from the Department for Healthcare at the University of Derby, speaks about the health benefits of being optimistic.

‘I think it can be of great benefit to remain positive because there are associations between being positive and physical health, and being physically healthy while enduring a challenging diagnosis like cancer. It can help not only with the process of the journey but also with the recovery afterwards,’ she says.

To find other resources on this topic, and watch Fixers films, click on the image below.